For over 100 years corn wet milling has been used to separate corn kernels into products such as starch, protein, fiber and oil. Corn wet milling is a two stage process: (a) a steeping process to soften the corn kernel and to facilitate the next step; (b) a wet milling process resulting in purified starch and different co-products such as oil, fiber, and protein. In general, starch recoveries are between 90 to 96%. The remainder of the starch is found in the different co-products.
US patent 2003/0070673 to Liaw et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,144,087 and 4,244,748 to Chwalek et al., EP patent 0 506 233 to Chie-Ying, U.S. Pat. No. 3,928,631 to Freeman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,705 to Johann et al., Patent WO 93/12667 to Cook et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,361,651 to Keim, WO patent 02/067698 to Kvist et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,773,076 and 5,968,585 to Liaw et al. relate to wet-milling processes that produce various products.